‘Abdu’l-Bahá

O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the
sacred Tree! Bahá’u’lláh—may my life, my soul, my spirit
be offered up as a sacrifice unto His lowly servants—hath,
during His last days on earth, given the most emphatic
promise that, through the outpourings of the grace of God
and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom on
high, souls will arise and holy beings appear who, as stars,
would adorn the firmament of divine guidance; illumine
the dayspring of loving-kindness and bounty; manifest the
signs of the unity of God; shine with the light of sanctity
and purity; receive their full measure of divine inspiration;
raise high the sacred torch of faith; stand firm as the rock
and immoveable as the mountain; and grow to become
luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation, mighty channels
of His grace, means for the bestowal of God’s bountiful
care, heralds calling forth the name of the One true God,
and establishers of the world’s supreme foundation.

These shall labour ceaselessly, by day and by night, shall
heed neither trials nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their
efforts, shall seek no repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort,
and, detached and unsullied, shall consecrate every
fleeting moment of their lives to the diffusion of the divine
fragrance and the exaltation of God’s holy Word. Their
faces will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be filled
with joy. Their souls will be inspired, and their foundation
stand secure. They shall scatter in the world, and travel
throughout all regions. They shall raise their voices in every
assembly, and adorn and revive every gathering. They shall
speak in every tongue, and interpret every hidden meaning.
They shall reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, and manifest
unto everyone the signs of God. They shall burn
brightly even as a candle in the heart of every assembly, and
beam forth as a star upon every horizon. The gentle breezes
252
wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and
revive the souls of men, and the revelations of their minds,
even as showers, will reinvigorate the peoples and nations
of the world.

I am waiting, eagerly waiting for these holy ones to
appear; and yet, how long will they delay their coming?
My prayer and ardent supplication, at eventide and at dawn,
is that these shining stars may soon shed their radiance upon
the world, that their sacred countenances may be unveiled to
mortal eyes, that the hosts of divine assistance may achieve
their victory, and the billows of grace, rising from His
oceans above, may flow upon all mankind. Pray ye also and
supplicate unto Him that through the bountiful aid of the
Ancient Beauty these souls may be unveiled to the eyes of
the world.

The glory of God rest upon thee, and upon him whose
face is illumined with that everlasting light that shineth
from His Kingdom of Glory.